“We are proud to announce the formation of the Congressional Somalia Caucus,” Emmer and Ellison said. “As Somalia emerges from decades of violent conflict and humanitarian crises, we are committed to assisting the Somali government build on economic and security gains they have achieved. This assistance is vital to Somalia’s continued progress and to the United States’ national security.”

The purpose of the Somalia Caucus is to advocate for peace and stability in Somalia by ensuring the United States is providing sufficient and meaningful assistance so that democracy, good governance, and prosperity prevail over terrorism in Somalia. This means supporting efforts to defeat Al-Shabaab and prevent recruitment, helping to create good governance standards, and bringing Somalia’s informal economy into the formal 21st century global marketplace.

“Together, we represent some of the largest Somali-American communities in the United States; for us and the constituents we represent, Somalia is not a far off foreign policy issue, it’s a matter of domestic policy and national security. We are committed to advocating on behalf of all of our constituents while ensuring that Somalia has the tools it needs to create strong democratic institutions that provide safety and economic opportunity to its people.”Tom Emmer